Y8  V2.  I     *» 


Published  by 
The  Valentine  Museum 

Richmond,  Va. 


Report  of  the  Exploration 
of  the  Hayes9  Creek  Mound 
Rockbridge  County,  Va. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT    OF 


Ctes 


OF  THi 

[UNIVERSITY 


The  Hayes'  Creek  Mound,  "Indian  Bottom  Farm/'  Rockbridge  Co., Virginia, 

EXPLORED  SEPT.,  1901,  by  EDWARD  P.  VALENTINE,  FOR  THE  VALENTINE  MUSEUM,  RICHMOND,  VA. 


AT  a  distance  of  about  three  miles  from  the  eastern  entrance  to  the 
beautiful  Goshen  Pass  stood  this  prehistoric  burial  mound,  located  upon 
the  "Indian  Bottom  Farm"  belonging  to  the  estate  of  Wm.  Horn,  in 
the  valley  to  the  east  of  "  Jump  Mountain,"  and  about  one  hundred  yards 
directly  south  of  the  junction  of  Walker's  with  Hayes'  Creek,  being  in  a 
fertile  bottom  of  about  twenty-five  acres. 

'1  he  base  was  a  slightly  elongated  circle,  sixty  feet  in  diameter  N.  W.  and 
S.  E.,  by  sixty  four  feet  N.  E.  and  S.  W.,  altitude  four  and  one-half  feet,  top 
level  and  of  thirty-eight  to  forty-two  feet  diameter,  the  whole  covered  with 
grass  and  surrounded  by  a  field  of  corn.  The  structure  was  composed  of 
alluvial  soil,  like  that  of  the  surrounding  valley,  and  water  worn  fragments  of 
limestone  of  ten  to  seventy  five  pounds  weight,  similar  to  those  seen  in  the 
beds  of  the  adjacent  streams. 

The  centre,  at  the  time  of  exploration,  was  assumed  to  be  the  true  centre, 
to  which  the  location  of  the  objects  found  was  referred.  The  first  step  in 
excavating  was  to  encircle  the  mound  by  a  trench  eight  feet  broad,  pene 
trating  the  subsoil  to  the  depth  of  two  feet  and  extending  on  the  outer  edge 
four  feet  beyond  the  circumference.  In  this  trench  human  skeletons  in  an 
excellent  state  of  preservation  were  found  one  and  one-half  to  two  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  sandy  subsoil,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  structure  to 
the  south,  and  three  feet  beyond  the  circumference  to  the  south  of  west  of 
the  centre. 

Tw  Ive  bodies  were  found  at  a  depth  of  one  and  one-half  to  two  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  subsoil,  and  a  systematic  and  continuous  burial  on 
the  surface  of  the  subsoil  was  exposed.  This  preliminary  work  finished,  the 
bodies  exposed  were  left  in  place  while  the  mound  was  cautiously  attacked 
from  all  sides.  A  burial  level  approximately  one  and  one-half  feet  above  the 
subsoil  was  soon  discovered,  and  in  close  succession  came  the  exposure  of  a 
fourth  burial  level  approximately  two  and  one-half  feet  above  the  subsoil. 
In  a  few  days  more  than  one  hundred  skeletons  were  uncovered  and  care 
fully  cleaned  by  means  of  pocket  knives  and  wisps  of  broom  straw,  and  four 
burial  levels  were  clearly  in  view.  Accurate  memoianda  of  the  location, 
position,  nature  and  essential  details  were  made  and  photographs  taken  of 
the  skeletons  in  situ.  The  bones  allowed  to  bleach,  and  hardened  by  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  were  carefully  removed  and  spread  upon  cotton  cloths  to 
dry,  atter  which  they  were  packed  in  boxes  cushioned  by  crumpled  news 
papers.  After  removing  these  exposed  remains  the  work  continued  towards 
the  assumed  centre,  keeping  the  excavations  well  down  into  the  subsoil. 

The  skeletons  of  three  hundred  and  seventy-six  men,  women  and  children, 
in  a  remarkably  well-preserved  condition,  were  found  in  the  three  upper 
burial  levels  before  the  stone  pile  covering  the  centre  was  reached.  The 
bodies  were  lying  on  their  sides,  right  or  left,  indiscriminately,  with  the  arms 
folded  upon  their  breasts,  the  hands  being  extended  in  front  of  their  faces, 
the  legs  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  breasts  in  such  close  proximity  to  the 
bodies  as  to  indicate  that  the  bodies  had  been  bound  up  in  this  compat  t 


form  before  burial.  Single  burials  were  frequent,  but  many  bodies  were 
found  two  together,  or  in  groups  of  three  to  twenty.  Several  had  from  one  to 
three  large  stones  upon  their  heads  and  breasts,  as  if  to  protect  them  from 
disinterment  by  wild  beasts.  A  small  number  had  shell  beads  upon  their 
necks,  but  no  other  objects,  organic  or  inorganic,  were  found  with  them. 
The  earth  had  entirely  displaced  all  other  organic  matter  and  was  clinging 
compactly  to  the  bones.  \Vhere  the  skulls  had  become  tilted  so  as  to  admit 
of  entrance,  the  earth  had  in  many  cases  completely  filled  the  cavities. 

All  of  the  skeletons  showed  evidence  of  having  been  carefully  and 
systematically  buried,  and  most  of  them  were  lying  tangent  to  circles,  with 
a  common  centre  five  and  one  half  feet  south  of  west  of  the  assumed  centre 
of  the  mound.  In  addition  to  the  human  remains,  skeletons  of  eight  dogs 
were  found,  some  almost  perfect,  all  sufficiently  intact  to  show  clearly  their 
positions.  They  had  been  carefully  buried  near  the  human  bodies,  and  were 
lying  on  their  sides  with  their  feet  drawn  together  in  front  of  their  bodies. 

Continuing  the  work,  a  layer  of  fine  gravel  and  ashes  was  discovered, 
forming  a  floor  on  the  surface  of  the  subsoil,  one  to  three  inches  thick  and 
thirty-four  feet  in  diameter,  with  its  centre  five  and  one-half  feet  south  of 
west  of  the  assumed  centre  of  the  mound.  At  the  centre  of  this  gravel  and 
ash  floor  burnt  human  bones  were  found,  and  upon  it  rested  a  burial  level, 
with  the  same  centre,  twenty-four  feet  in  diameter,  covered  by  stones,  fol 
lowed  by  two  successive  burials  with  intervening  stones,  the  whole  covered 
by  stones  and  earth  reaching  an  altitude  of  four  and  one-half  feet  to  the  top 
of  the  mound.  The  human  remains  in  this  stone  pile  had  evidently  been 
buried  with  the  same  care  as  those  in  the  earth-work  surrounding  it,  but  had 
been  to  some  extent  dislocated  by  the  settling  of  the  heavy,  irregular  stones, 
making  it  difficult  at  times  to  trace  clearly  their  positions. 

Fifty  or  more  skeletons  were  found  in  the  stone  pile,  twenty-eight  oi  which 
had  shell  beads  and  pendants  on  their  necks,  the  majority  of  those  having 
necklaces  being  women  and  girls.  One  had  upon  the  neck  the  tooth  of  a. 
shark,  perforated  at  the  root  for  use  as  a  pendant. 

Two  pipes,  one  of  soapstone,  the  other  of  clay,  were  found  close  to  the  skulls 
of  two  men  located  near  the  centre  of  the  stone  pile.  No  other  objects  were 
found  buried  with  the  bodies,  and  a  close  search  failed  to  reveal  evidence  of 
any  considerable  amount  of  debris  of  a  former  settlement  from  which  the 
earth  might  have  been  brought  in  the  erection  of  the  mound.  The  objects 
of  accidental  occurrence  were  limited  to  a  polishing  stone  of  slate,  a  bone 
awl.  a  spear-head,  and  a  few  fragments  of  pottery. 

Eighty  perfect  skulls,  a  number  of  nearly-perfect  skeletons,  and  the  bulk 
of  the  bones  of  more  than  four  hundred  people,  were  exhumed  and  shipped 
to  the  Museum  for  scientific  study. 

Jefferson,  in  his  "  Notes  on  Virginia,"  s-tates  that  the  Massawomees  occu 
pied,  to  the  exclusion  of  almost  every  other  tribe,  the  entire  region  stretch 
ing  from  the  Blue  Ridge  to  the  Ohio  River.  This  burial  was  therefore  in  the 
territory  of  the  Massawomees. 


1 70548 


COPYRIGHTED  1903 

BY  THE  VALENTINE  MUSEUM 


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HAVES-  CHK.KK  MOUND, 

HoCKMHinOK  COl-NTV, 


REPRESENTATIVE  SKULLS. 

FRONT   ANH   PROFILE  VIEWS. 


'Sir 


1 1  \  \  i  -   CREEK  MOUND, 

ROCK  it  R  i  no  E  COUNTY, 


HODIES  NEAR  CIRCUMFERENCE  OF  MOUND. 


\  i  I-.*  fu  i  i  K  MOUND, 

KOCKUKIDGK  COUNTT,  Vi. 


VIKW^SHOWING  THREE  BURIAL  LEVELS. 

FIGURE    IN   FOREGROUND   IN  SUBSOIL. 


HAYKM-  CRKKK  MOUNP, 

ROCKHItinOE  »'--.-• 


MAX    AN"  13   DOG. 


^^TS  *  fT?X. 

Or    THt  \ 

•  UNIVERSITY 


HAYES-  CHKKK  MOI-NO. 

ROCKURIDUK  COUNTY,  VA 


BODY   OF   A   MAX    IX  TIL.TED   POSITION. 


*  CREEK  MOUND, 
ROCKBKIDQK  COUNTY,  VA. 


MAX   AN'O   WOMAX. 

FEET   OF  MAN   EXTENDED  TO   HIS    BEAD. 


170548 


